Unforgettable Revolutionary Martyr Baikunth Shukla

Great Revolutionary Baikunth Shukla

“Babuji, I have seen many big heroes and warriors (Surmas), but never I have seen such a lion-hearted fellow. During the last war I took part in the battles of Jordan and Mesopotemia( Iraq), I had seen many body to kill and also to die but never had I seen such a valiant hero, never had I thought that anyone could possess such valour…The day in which his sentence for hanging became final, since that day his body started to shine like a colourful rose… it started to bloom like a rose, a red rose. Babuji I used to be perplexed seeing his appearance; I never have seen in my life such a smiling appearance. I had no idea how could a man be so broad-minded and how could he have so much joy in him. I can’t think how such a sober boy can be so brave!”

The above comment is of a constable of Gaya Jail, regarding the great revolutionary martyr Baikunth Shukla. This was nothing but the expression of heartfelt respect towards the broadness of mind and the death defying qualities of character of the great martyr who dedicated his life for the freedom struggle of India, and sacrificed his life on the gallows on 14^th May 1934, in Gaya Central Jail, Bihar.

Childhood and Joining in Freedom Struggle

Baikunth Shukla was born in 1910 in the Jalalpur village of Lalganj Police Station, which was within the erstwhile undivided Muzaffarpur District (Now in Vaishali District) of Bihar. His education was in the primary school of the village. He could continue his study not very far. Afterwards he became a teacher in the lower primary school in Mathurapur village situated 4 Km away from Jalalpur. In those days he was a typical village Brahmin and seeing him it was impossible to guess that he was going to be the valiant revolutionary fighter in future. During the first half of the year 1930, Baikunth Shukla got acquainted with renowned freedom fighter and patriot, Kishori Prasanna Singh. At that time Kishori Prasanna and his wife Suniti Devi, with a team of volunteers, were moving from village to village and campaigning for the Salt Satyagraha movement by Gandhiji, in those parts. Baikunth, being impressed by Kishori Prasanna Singh, expressed his desire to go along with him for the campaigning. As the usual rural custom of those days Baikunth was married at very young age and his wife Radhika Devi was a very ordinary rural lady involved in domestic chores only. It was very difficult for him to convince her to go along with them. Under Baikuntha’s request Suniti Devi convinced his wife and taken her to stay in the Gandhi Ashram in Hazipur along with other ladies.  There, from an ordinary housewife, she turned into a volunteer of boycott movement and that helped Baikunth also to become a devoted volunteer in the freedom movement.

During this campaign, Baikunth was arrested and sent to Patna Camp Jail. There he met the renowned revolutionary freedom fighter cum writer Bibhuti Bhusan Das.  From him he used to listen to the revolutionary stories and spirited poems of Rabindranath Tagore. He had left a deep imprint in him. When by dint of Gandhi-Irwin Pact, a large number of arrested volunteers were released, Baikunth Shukla also got released from jail.

From Satyagraha Volunteer Born as a Revolutionary

Meanwhile, Kishori Prasanna Singh and his wife Suniti Devi, although earlier they had been in Gandhiite trend, but became through with that and got attracted towards uncompromising revolutionary movement. They had developed a link with the organisation HSRA built by Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, and others. Particularly Suniti Devi played very important role in introducing him to the revolutionaries. This brought a basic change in his approach and outlook towards freedom movement. He felt that freedom couldn’t be achieved by bargaining and begging, rather that should be won by uncompromising revolutionary struggle. Particularly when Bhagat Singh was arrested after throwing bomb in Assembly and later, on 23^rd March of 1931, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru became martyrs on the gallows. Gandhiji could have saved their lives by dint of Gandhi-Irwin pact, but he refused to do that. That created a strong grievance among the younger generations regarding policies of the compromising trend. These events left a deep imprint in Baikunth Shukla’s mind and he became converted into a devoted revolutionary activist. He developed a strong irritation particularly against the Indian population, who due to their lack of consciousness or sheer opportunism, acted at the behest of imperialism. Kishori Prasanna Singh, in his autobiography mentioned one incident in which he and Baikunth Shukla, had been returning to Gandhi Ashram in Hazipur passing by some government quarters in which a few CID officers used to stay. While near the house, Baikunth told him at a low voice, “Give me a revolver so that I can teach them a lesson?”

Revolutionary activities started to spread in these parts also. During that period an attempt was made in the model of Kakori Train Robbery in Hazipur. Within 500 yards of the Gandhi ashram there was a railway station in which a train coming from Barauni was looted. This action was conducted by revolutionary activists Ramdeni singh, Chandrama Singh and others. Those two revolutionaries and Kishri Prasanna Singh were arrested in connection with this case. Ramdeni Singh was hanged but other two could not be proved guilty. Baikunth Shukla was not involved in this action but he had the knowledge of it.

The Betrayal By Fanindranath Ghosh

Under the leadership of Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagat singh, the activity of the HSRA was spreading. Already they were influenced by the Soviet revolution and Socialist ideology. They felt that individual episodes of heroism and isolated attacks, and secret revolutionary organisations can not help accomplish the objective of revolutionary movement. Open mass movement and open political organisation was the need of the hour. In order to escalate the views of the revolutionary organisation, Bhagat Singh courted arrest along with Batukeswar Dutta, and tried to utilize the trial court as a platform to propagate the views. But soon Sukhdev, Rajguru and other revolutionary fighters were arrested and the murder case of Saunders in Lahore Garden started. Saunders was the deputy Commissioner of Police who carried the order of the lathicharge on highly revered leader Lala Lajpat Rai, which caused his death. Soon Bhagat singh’s involvement in this case was discovered and his trial started. During the police raids, among other revolutionaries Phanindranath Ghosh was also arrested. He was a member of the Central Committee of the HSRA. During the formation of HSRA he was the representative of Bihar in its Central Committee. But, while in police custody, out of sheer cowardice and greed he became main government approver in that case. After the conclusion of ‘Lahore Conspiracy Case’ in which death sentence was awarded to Bhagat singh Sukhdev and Rajguru, Phanindranath Ghosh returned to his home town Betiah in Bihar. Being government approver he received a large amount of money and with that he started ba business in Mina Bazar of Betiah. This was a black spot and matter of shame for other revolutionary activists in Bihar.

The Death sentence in Revolutionary Court

Chandrasekhar Azad and Yogendra Shukla a senior revolutionary leader of Bihar, discussing with other leaders of the revolutionary organisation passed death sentence to the betrayer Phanindranath Ghosh. First attempt to execute that order was made by Bhagwan Das and Sadashiv Rao Malpurkar. But Phanindranath eventually escaped this attempt unhurt. Meanwhile, on 27^th February, 1931 Chandrasekhar Azad died a martyr’s death after encounter with police in Allahabad. Yogendra Shukla also were arrested. In September or October of 1932, the revolutionaries of Punjab sent a message to the revolutionaries of Bihar that should they continue to carry this shameful black spot or obliterate it? The revolutionaries of Bihar called a meeting with this agenda in which Kishori Prasanna Singh, Akhsayvat Roy, Suniti Devi, Baikunth Shukla and others were present. Suniti Devi volunteered to execute the punishment order. But some other revolutionaries opposed it as she was the only lady in the leadership of the organisation and her absence will cost it dearly. Then Baikunth Shukla took the opportunity to stake his claim. Others also volunteered for the same responsibility. So a lottery was conducted and Baikunth’s name evolved through it.

When Phanindranath Ghosh first returned to Betiah always there used to be police guard to protect him. But after a few months the guard was withdrawn and he himself and the administration became assured of his safety. In such a time, on 9^th October 1932 Baikunth Shukla and Chandrama Singh executed the penalty of death to the betrayer Phanidranath Ghosh who at that time was seating in his shop in Meena Bazaar, Betiah. Although Chandrama Singh was not directly involved in the revolutionary organisation and he was not supposed to go, but he was a very close friend of Baikunth and he voluntarily accompanied him in the dangerous action. Unfortunately another innocent person who was present there at that time tried to protect Phanindranath, and sustained unintended but severe injury, to which he succumbed a few days later.

Indifferent to Own Safety

Both Baikunth and Chandrama Singh escaped from Betiah on foot then crossing the Gandak river by swimming they moved to Malkhachak of Chhapra District and took shelter at Ramvinod Singh’s house. This house was a regular shelter of the revolutionaries because Ramvinod Singh was a close friend of Bhagat Singh and strong well-wisher of revolutionary activities. The fearlessness and indifference of both of them towards their own life was expressed in many remarkable incidents. During the action they left the cycles and clothes at a nearby place of Meena Bazar, which they could not collect in the hurry to leave the spot.  While staying in Ramvinod Singh’s house when Baikunth mentioned that they avenged the betrayal of Phanindranath but due the untoward situation could not collect the cycles and clothes, Ramvinod became very anxious for their safety. They instantly said ‘What will happen? At best we will be arrested and hanged. We are prepared for that” But Baikunth said ‘we must see that only one of us be arrested and face hanging and that should be me. Chandrama should be saved for the sake of his family.’ Chandrama claimed just the reverse. Then Rambinod resolved the dispute by lottery and Baikunth was chosen as the person to face trial if needed. Chandrama left the place and Baikunth stayed there. But he didn’t use to stay in hiding. He openly moved in markets, roads and even in some occasions he went to visit jail. Renowned freedom fighter Basawan Singh wrote in his autobiography that while he was interned in Gaya Jail and admitted to jail hospital one young boy came to visit him who was none but Baikuntha Shukl, absconding for the murder of government approver Phanindranath Ghosh. He admitted that seeing Baikunth within jail premises he himself was trembling but Baikunth was serene and smiling. Tracing the link of cycle and clothes Baikunth was arrested on 6^th July 1933 near Hazipur Bridge. Meanwhile Chandrama Singh was also arrested in Kanpur following an encounter with police on 5^th January 1933.

Fearless in Face of Death

After arrest Baikunth was sent to Patna Camp Jail. Their trial was conducted in Muzaffarpur. Apart from the Judge there had been four Assessors. Due to lack of any evidence Chandrama could not be convicted in the murder case. In case of Baikunth three of the Assessors found him not guilty. The Trial Judge picked up the opinion of the fourth Assessor only and adjudged Baikunth guilty of murder of Phanindranath Ghosh and the other person.

After being convicted Baikunth was sent to Gaya Central Jail. There even in the condemned cell he was always kept handcuffed and chained, such was the stricture of authorities regarding him. One intern of the jail, revolutionary Bibhuti Bhushan Das, told in his autobiography that Baikunth was so simple naïve and easy that even the jail guards were deeply impressed by his character. One Pathan Hawaldar once asked him if it was possible to get Baikunth released by appealing to the Queen or the authorities in England higher than even the Governor of India! He said he was ready to sacrifice his own life to save the life of Baikunth. Bibhutibhushan Das further wrote that Baikunth often, again and again, requested him to sing the song on Khudiram. On the night before the day of hanging Baikunth from his own cell requested Bibhutibhushan to sing the song of Khudiram, then Rabindranath Tagore’ poems and the Vande Mataram.

On 14^th May 1934, the day of hanging, when he finally came out of his cell, he shouted to all ‘Brothers I am going. I also shall return (like the song of Kshudiram), because India is still enslaved. Vande Matrram’. He requested him that when he is released (Bibhutibhushan Das), he must fight out the curse of child marriage in the backward society of Bihar. The jail warder present at the time of his hanging told that when on the gallows his face had been being covered with black cloth, he requested not to do that. Jail Superintendent Parera also granted that request. When he passed final order, the henchman was hesitating to pull the lever. Baikunth shouted ’Why are you waiting?” Then the end came.

Baikunth Shukla was one of the very rare and lofty characters which the uncompromising trend of freedom movement has produced. The ruling class of our country, the ruling parties describe him and others of this trend as ‘terrorists’, but the qualities of his character show that he was soft, simple and highly emotional, having deep feeling for the people and the society. On the other hand, in the question of discharging duties, his readiness, valiance and determination is of rare brand. Question of family, career, comfort nothing could touch him at all.  Today, amid the intense social crisis all around the cultivation of the qualities of the lofty character of this death-defying martyr is essential. There was no attempt on the part of the government or power greedy parliamentary political parties to uphold this character. It is necessary to observe the 14^th May, the Martyrs’ Day in a befitting manner and cultivate his life to take lessons from it.(By courtesy: Students' Pledge, August 2012)